The present invention relates to an improved golf tee. In the sport of golf, a recurring problem that exists for golfers is the loss of a golf tee during the drive. Specifically, a golf tee may be dislodged from its position within the ground due to the impact of a golf club. After the tee has become dislodged, it becomes airborne and lands in a location such that a golfer cannot find the tee or cannot spend the time searching for it. As such, a need has developed to provide a tee which resists being projected airborne during the golf swing. In response to this need, Applicant has developed an improved golf tee having retractable spring activated metal spikes which further imbed the tee in the ground to resist the tee being removed from the ground due to the impact of a golf club.
In the prior art, various designs of golf tees are known. U.S. Pat. No. 2,011,203 to Seiki discloses the concept of a disposable golf tee having a plug for inserting the disposable member into the ground. Of course, this is different from the teachings of the present invention in that the golf tee of Seiki does not include a retractable spring activated metal spike which further imbeds the golf tee into the ground. U.S. Pat. No. 1,623,782 to Dent et al. discloses the concept of a golf tee having a barb on the end thereof to further anchor the tee into the ground. The teachings of this patent are different from the present invention in that the Dent et al. patent does not teach or fairly suggest the retractable spring activated metal spikes of the improved golf tee of the present invention.